SUN!

We ventured out into the semi-warm sun on Friday afternoon. This time I remembered a camera to document Abrianna's swing experience. Kind of tough to get action shots with my camera. These were the best ones.

Momma's helper II

I've decided I need to observe and stress the importance of observation to others at all times. While I was gone at book club Wednesday night, she proceeded to eat the rubber strip off of my dust pan. I hoped I was wrong, but the evidence came out in her diaper the next day. What a girl!
I'm continually amazed at how young out children observe and mimic our behaviors. Lucas was helping me mop my floor with his little mop. When he left it, she scurried over and picked it up. As you can see, she began to dip it and try to mop the floor. Then the following morning after observing me washing Lucas' face in the tub, she summarily picked up the washcloth and preceded to scrub at his face.

And She's Off!

Our little helpers

I think Abrianna understands that a dust pan is used for picking up the dirt, for she was playing with it and eating the dirt at the same time.

Here both of our kids were intently watching and trying to help daddy start the fire. I love seeing them interact with daddy.

On another note... Lucas has learned the word incredible today. I was changing Abrianna's diaper and he wanted to see the poop. "That's Incredible!" was his response upon looking. No, there wasn't anything special about it. He just likes the word and is learning how to properly use it.

Goodbye

Rick took Lucas to his physical therapy appointment. As they were walking out of the door, he excitedly exclaimed, " I want to give you a hug and a kiss!!" Back he rushed to smoother me in his two year old hugs and kisses.
Headed out the door once again with his daddy, I told him, " have fun with daddy!". "Have fun with ... pausing... Pookins" ( Rick's name for Abrianna).
Moments like these make parenting fulfilling.

What I learned from my boy...

First. A little boy in trouble will make up his own words to familiar tunes, such as, "Nice mommy, nice mommy, I will give my love to you!" to the tune of the cradle roll song Nice Kitty when he's in trouble.
Second. Don't leave Desitin lying around after your two year old sees you apply it to a sore bottom.
Third. Desitin doesn't wipe off or come off with regular bar soap. It requires grease cutting lemon joy. and a shower.
Fourth. When you explain that your tummy is squishy from having babies, expect curiosity.
Fifth. Little boys think they can determine if there is a baby in your tummy by poking and prodding. Mine informed me that I had a stick in there- and NO I'm not pregnant!

More stories

Early yesterday morning, Lucas climbed into bed with me. He asked for a drink of water. So, like a good mommy, I got up and filled a cup of water for him. Upon returning to my bed in the dark, I whacked him in the head with the cup. Between his wails, he demanded, " WHY YOU DO THAT?? DON'T HIT ME, MOMMY!" Man, makes me sound like an abusive mommy. I felt awful. Lucas did take his drink of water after the blow to his head.
We all four slept for several more hours. Abrianna was the first to wake. I groggily watched her playing with the infamous cup of water. Picking it up, she began to give me drinks. I dutifully and enjoyably went along with her. She thought that was great. What a big girl to give mommy drinks!
Today, Lucas was climbing down from the table and slipped, crashing to the floor and bumping the back of his head. Rick picked him up to comfort him. I asked him where his owie was and he said he'd bumped the back of his head. I stood up and kissed him. Between his sobs he informed me he wanted me to give him his owie back! Huh? Okay, so I pretended to put it back on the back of his head. "Put me back in my chair. I want to conquer it. He success fully made it this time. What a wonderful attitude! He was obviously in pain and embarrassed but he wanted to get the better of that chair, not the other way around!

Yes and No

Abrianna is learning to shake her head no and nod yes. Watch this!

The wanderer...

Last night I left Abrianna asleep on the floor with the baby monitor next to her. Rick and I retired to some relaxing couple time in the hot tub ( in 30 degree weather!).
After about 15-20 minutes I thought I heard a baby cry. Not on the baby monitor mind you. Just thought I heard a baby. Several minutes later, I thought I heard it again. Rick assured me that it couldn't be Abrianna. Wh,y the monitor was right next to her and we had the remote part with us.
10 minutes we were met at the door with a distant wailing. I set off in search of her. She wasn't in my bedroom ( where I'd left her), or the kitchen or the livingroom ( thankfully!). I finally found her in Lucas' room in the dark all the way on the other side of the bed, next to the far door trying to get out!
Talk about feeling awful! I don't know how long she'd been looking for me. Thank you God that she didn't get into anything dangerous while on her mommy hunt.

Excerpts from conversations with Lucas...

Our book club has been going through Kay Kuzma's book "The First Seven Years." She suggests choosing a character quality that I would like to see my children exhibit and then emphasizing that trait every day for a week. The idea is to emphasize traits such as obedience, honesty, etc and rotate through them on a 13 week basis repeating throughout the year.
I choose kindness. I try to notice when Lucas does something kind or point out how something can be done that is kind.

We've been learning the a scripture song from Eph. 4:32. " Be ye kind, one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you."

Two interesting incidents that have happened connected to kindness. The first day I had a friend over. We had lots of fun scrap booking. Well, our boys didn't get along so well. Her little boy bopped Lucas in the face with a car and Lucas immediately reciprocated while shouting, "He isn't kind! He isn't kind!" Okay, so he knows the difference between kind and unkind. That's good. Now I suppose I need to work on teaching him turning the other cheek, so to speak.
This morning, the fifth day of teaching the concept of kindness, I was reading him Buzzy Bee's Bee Happy book. This book emphasizes a lot of good character traits along with Bible verses.

The picture that goes along with kindness showed a little boy pulling his sister's hair. Lucas pointed and declared, "he isn't kind or tender-hearted!"
On another topic... We were out walking this afternoon. Lucas asked to get into the stroller. Then he asked for the lid to be put down. Turns out the lid is the canopy! Funny boy.

P.S. Abrianna's 5th tooth made an appearance today.

Princess Tinker Bell

We just returned from a Tinker Bell party. I had to get a picture of Abrianna wearing the crown. These pictures are in reverse order. She cried and took it off first. Then smiled with leaving it on. Such a little doll.

Lucas' stories

This morning Lucas was nibbling animal crackers ( thank you Auntie Jen). He had eaten a lion. When he very seriously informed me that the horse was going to play with the lion. I asked him how that was going to happen. He said that he was going to eat it and then they were going to run around in his tummy. He emphasized that by running in circles in the living room. "The lion is growling, roar!", he exclaimed. What an imagination!
While eating his breakfast later, he stated that the food would give him gas. Oh, great! He think my food gives him gas? Upon further questioning, he said it gave him the gas so he could run around all day. Whew! At least he didn't mean the air gas!

The next chocoholic!

Picking out the brownie pan!

Yummy!

Maybe I'll reach it with my mouth best!

Caught in the act!

Lucas has been doing an excellent job of practicing kindness. I think we'll work on obedience next.
He was resting on his bed. He came trotting out, informing he needed to wash his hands. Wash his hands? All he'd had back there was an apple.
He had gotten into my herbal ointment for aches and pains, spreading it on his face and both hands.
After cleaning him up and firmly telling him he was NOT to do that again, I sent him back to his bed.
Several minutes later, out he trotted again, bone and tissue ointment spread all over his face an hands. Now the dilemma of how to discipline? I asked him what I should do for him disobeying me. He said he needed a spanking. What else could I do? I couldn't put him on time out. That where he got into trouble to begin with!
I think he now knows he is not to play in my ointment again.
On another note, we were looking at an ABC book this morning. On the Y page were some pictures of containers of yogurt. He thought we had some in the fridge. "No," I told him, "we don't." He insisted daddy must have eaten his "yoyerk" ( yogurt).
Guess maybe I should invest in some next time I go to town.

Children may not listen to what we say... But they never fail to imitate what we do.

As some of you may already know... Abrianna has been sick with a fever the past few days. Last night, we were settling in. Several hours later,Rick came to bed.
As is always the case, his hands are freezing cold from coming in wet from the hot tub in 30 weather.
He put his cold hand on her little bare fevered leg last night. "NO!" she exclaimed! So clearly even Rick knew what she was saying.
As she gets older she is becoming more opinionated. I think her repertoire of words is up to 5 already.
She says no, nana ( nurse), mama, dada, and Lucas. She can also growl for dogs and moo for cows. Its amazing to see her growth and change.

How to get Sabbath afternoon rest... From your Kids

This is a great way to rest on a Sabbath afternoon when you need a break from your kids :)

My Happy Little Moppers 2

See the water slinging through the air? They were really into this mopping!

My Happy Little Moppers

Friday preparation for Sabbath was livened up today... Since both of my precious children wanted to pitch in and help.
Abrianna and Lucas merrily splashed water all over the floor in between eating bubbles and Abrianna sucking/chewing on the kids mop ( icky!)
I found it is much simpler to let them help them to try to keep them out. I did draw the line on the water mess, when Lucas started tipping the mop bucket and pouring water onto the floor.
I spent more time getting the water back into the bucket than anything else.
Consequently, my floor is probably much cleaner than its been for awhile.

About Lucas

Abrianna is at the age where she's changing so quickly, stories about her have been hogging the blog.This time it's Lucas' turn. Here are a few clips/stories about him.

I came down with a stomach/flu bug a couple of days ago. Lucas stepped up to the plate to be a helpful mother hen.
He repeatedly told me he was sorry, even as he tucked me in on the couch with blankets and pillows.
Knowing I was incapacitated, he willing picked up the living room at my request and with some prompting.
Then he tootled over to the drawer to get cups for himself and sister which he filled with water. Then he insisted I drink a full cup of water that he brought me, pausing part of the way through to peer into the cup and take a drink himself. He wouldn't leave me until the cup was empty. He thought the drink would make me better.

Last night when we'd walked into his room , flipping on the light, a jumping spider skittered across the door. After tucking him in, I said, "I hope you don't catch mommy's bug." To which he replied that he already had a bug, the spider that was crawling on the door. That's logical, isn't it? Later he told me he had a lady bug too.

I love watching and listening to his emerging intelligence. At the same time, it can be really scary. Rick recently gave up his World of War craft account to play something less addictive. It's a game the military uses to train their soldiers. You run around shooting other people with machine guns as their blood splatters.

I thought I'd been doing a good job keeping Lucas out of there. I learned otherwise. Lucas has been telling me that when he gets big he's going to have a gun and shoot people. SCARY! Rick agreed. He didn't know that the game would have that effect on a 2 year old. Consequently, the game wasn't on at all yesterday.

I suppose what I've learned from that is that we need to guard even more carefully what goes inot our childrens minds and pray pray pray!

P.S. The text color was Lucas idea :)

Jumping on the trampoline

My tomboy.

I thought to distract Abrianna from scrambling up onto the trampoline while I was exercising this evening. This is what happened when I put her on the four-wheeler.
First she stood up on it. What a little daredevil!
Next she proceeded to climb off. No, she didn't fall. I tried putting her on there multiple times this evening. To no avail. She just merrily climbed off and resumed lying on the trampoline under my feet.
Awhh, Sweet success. Look at that proud look on her little face.

Emerging intellegence

Rick took Lucas to Wing Chun with him this evening, leaving us with some girl time. While seated on my lap, I asked Abrianna if she had clap clap hands. To which she responded by clapping her hands. Smart girl.
I forget how early they understand. She sat on my lap through two full board books. Has a pretty good attention span

Auntie Jen has requested an update on my kids. I admit to neglecting my blogging lately. We've had several developments that have detracted from my blogging. Rick was laid off Friday due to the slowing economy.
A quick word about the picture. I braved the chilly temperatures today to ensure my son could play in his sand box. Abrianna decided towards the end that she would be happy standing next to the bee box and eating the sand that big brother accumulated therefrom banging his cars off. Perfect photo opportunity. I rushed into the house, returning with camera in hand. Sigh... Lucas had dumped the bee box over so instead of her being beside it she was inside it. Between that and the cold, she'd had it. The picture was my attempt at recreating my missed photo opportunity. Lucas was even obliging by banging off more cars. Abrianna had lost all enthusiasm. This is the best I got out of her.
But on the brighter side... Abrianna is developing by leaps and bounds. She stands very well and is attempting a faltering step occasionally.
Today I attempted to rest on the couch for 15 minutes. Ha, so much for that. My kids love me dearly- 5 minutes into it I hear, "Mommy, I want to cuddle wiff you". Several minutes later a little set of hands began to pluck at my shirt and little sister insisted she be included.
My dear children had a tussle over who had which side. I was startled by Abrianna's jealousy of big brother and how she wanted him to move over. I guess it starts early.
She snuck into Daddy's office today when Momma wasn't paying close enough attention. I walked into to retrieve her. She responded by saying, "nanananana!" all the way out the door. Lucas never experienced much of the no stage. We didn't use the word. He tells her all the time, " "NO baby!" She's learning far more than growling from him.
Rick took Lucas to Wing Chun with him this evening, leaving us with some girl time. While seated on my lap, I asked Abrianna if she had clap clap hands. To which she responded by clapping her hands. Smart girl. I forget how early they understand. She sat on my lap through two full board books. Has a pretty good attention span.
(There you go Auntie Jen, There's your update!)

Floor cleaner

Abrianna is at the age where everything makes its way into her little mouth. After eating in her chair, I put her on the floor. She'll crawl underneath and clean up what she spilled. Its funny... She has no problem eating non-food items, such as the mud in this picture. Last night I tried to give her a green bean. She would have none of it!